Early the next morning, in the East Pavilion, more than a dozen paper readers had already begun to read the papers. And before they read the papers, all the papers have been sent by the receiving officer to the sealing officer for sealing, and then pre-trial. And this is where the unspoken rules of the palace examination come into play, every time the palace exam, the top few papers will always be sorted out, and the cabinet ministers will often have a good person to entrust the examiner, these will be placed in the forefront, sent to the reader in advance, as for the second part, it is called the first class, and the second class is judged to be the second class, and the second class is the third class.

Compared with the rigor of the transcription of the palace test in the Song Dynasty, the palace test in the Ming Dynasty was indeed much easier.

Among them, Zhang Juzheng and Lu Tiaoyang, as the only two cabinet elders in the cabinet, the first assistant and the second assistant, although they were ordered to read the papers, they would not waste serious government affairs, especially Zhang Juzheng was in charge of the voting power, so the two-day reading papers could not be all day, and they had to take care of the cabinet affairs. Moreover, Zhang Juzheng was very different from the situation of those old pavilions in the past, and he did not have any instructions in advance. Every reader knows that the son of the Zhang family will fail the list this time, so he has lost interest in this, so he is not surprised. However, Lu Tiaoyang, the second assistant, can do his own thing, and Wang Xilie, who served as the deputy chief examiner of the examination, is not so carefree.

He could clearly feel that Zhang Juzheng's gaze from time to time was quite cold.

For this reason, Wang Xilie was helpless, but he asked himself, he did not show any favoritism in the examination, so he could only comfort himself in his heart, if Zhang Juzheng hated himself because of the fall of his eldest son, then there was no prime minister. Under such self-regulation, I read the paper for two whole days. He finally survived.

It's twilight on this day. When all these readers hurried to cross-mark. Finally, when more than 20 volumes with the highest number of laps were finally sent to Zhang Juzheng and Lu Tiaoyang, Zhang Juzheng quickly swept through the volumes, and his eyes finally fell on one of them.

A few days ago, he specially asked someone to find Sun Ying's original article, and he was no stranger to that handwriting, and it was clearly that Huiyuan. At this moment, I swept the policy article, but I only felt that the text was peaceful, and it was indeed very talented. But since he has some prejudice in his heart, in his opinion, he is half a point better than his eldest son Zhang Jingxiu. That's it. Looking at the rest of the articles, he feels even more clichéd, and the taste is the same as chewing wax. He did not deny the hard work of these paper readers for two days, and immediately asked lightly: "There is nothing outstanding about the other papers?" ”

Everyone looks at me, but they don't quite understand what Shousuke-sama means. It is reasonable to say that since Zhang Jingxiu missed this palace examination, Zhang Juzheng should not have any relatives, friends and nephews to participate in this palace examination, right? At this moment, it was Lu Tiaoyang who opened his mouth and said, "In this way, the hour has not yet come, why don't Yuanfu and I casually flip through other people's papers?" Maybe there are jewels left behind, but not necessarily? ”

I used to try that I couldn't interfere because I avoided the fate of my eldest son, and it was impossible to read more than 3,000 papers one by one. But now there are less than 300 volumes, and Zhang Juzheng is using Lu Tiaoyang's words at this moment. Get up and search for the papers. Previously, in addition to seeing Sun Ying's handwriting, he also deliberately came to Wang Fulin to come to the house several times, and the text of a few games with Zhang Jingxiu's brothers, and remembered the handwriting, because there were not many volumes, and it didn't take long to find it. There is nothing surprising in front of the volume, and it is no wonder that more than a dozen readers read the volume, and there are only four circles on it, but in the end, Zhang Juzheng has a bit of Confucianism and law.

On a whim, he couldn't help but use his fingernails to make a few marks on a few of the words.

However, he eventually put this volume into a pile of other volumes, and did not linger on it, but went straight to pick up a few more volumes and read them one by one. It's just that although Lu Tiaoyang, who was following him, didn't hum or ha, he picked up Wang Fulin's paper and read it carefully. Because the front was too prosaic, he couldn't help but wonder in his heart, and it wasn't until the middle and back parts that he sighed softly. With his understanding of Zhang Juzheng, where would he not understand why this Shoufu stood for a moment just now. It's just that since Zhang Juzheng didn't mean anything else, he didn't have much to do, just secretly wrote down this trace, and at the same time used his fingernails to pinch out the marks at the end of the scroll.

In this pretended search of the papers, Zhang Juzheng only took one more volume, which was added to the previous 20 or so volumes, and most of the paper readers had no objection to this. As the first assistant, Zhang Juzheng naturally has this power, not to mention the twelve recommended papers to be assessed before the emperor, and even if this volume is entered, it is only one of them. What puzzled them was that Zhang Juzheng seemed to be in charge, and then he really only listened to the opinions of most people, and the twelve recommended papers for the imperial exhibition were decided in an instant, even if the one he had just taken was excluded, but he didn't say anything.

This makes everyone a little uncertain in their hearts, Shousuke-sama used to be so good at talking?

I want to think about it, but most people want not to make extraneous branches, so since Zhang Juzheng has no opinion, the next step is to set the top three. Coincidentally, Zhang Juzheng saw that in the current default order, Sun Ying's volume was listed first!

He knew very well that Sun Ying's three elder brothers were now two in the court and one in the locality, and although the uncles of the previous generation were not alive, the cousins may not have the intention of leaking their handwriting. Therefore, he quietly moved the first volume to the fourth, and the fourth volume to the first.

Just this move, he was keenly aware that many people's pupils contracted suddenly, as if he didn't expect him to take such a move. For such a reaction, Zhang Juzheng was calm, and then he was changed twice, and the rolls in the first and third places in the front were completely different from before. In this regard, even if Lu Tiaoyang is the second assistant of the cabinet, he did not say a word, and Zhu Heng, the senior secretary of the Ministry of Industry, opened his mouth to speak, but was pulled by Tan Lun, the secretary of the Ministry of War, and finally shut up.

Although it has always been a rule for the emperor to submit twelve recommended papers to kneel and read, it has also been a practice since Jiajing Longqing for the cabinet ministers to set the first three. is the Son of Heaven, and there are changes to the top three in the first class in the palace examination papers, and it is rare to have one or two out of ten times. Now that the first assistant Zhang Juzheng is dictatorial, and the second assistant Lu Tiaoyang does not dare to interfere, what else can they do?

After this adjustment was completed, Zhang Juzheng looked up at everyone. Seeing that everyone was silent. He just said conclusively: "Let's go to the Wenhua Hall together to present the emperor." ”

Emperor Wanli is only twelve years old this year. Every morning in the Qianqing Palace, he was forcibly dragged up by the Empress Dowager Li, and every month he went to the court to listen to the government, and the rest of the time he read and practiced calligraphy, no rest days, no entertainment, and the schedule was full, so it also made him look a little dull like a clock. Mandarin Palace. He didn't have any slackness about the twelve palace test papers presented by Zhang Juzheng in front of him, because any slackness would be reported to his mother Empress Dowager Li by Feng Baoyu, who was standing behind him, so he listened carefully to the examiner reciting every question, and didn't hear anything good or bad, but he still nodded like a little adult.

After reading all the twelve articles, he said one more sentence in addition to only one word: "According to Mr. Zhang's meaning." ”

The emperor's honorific title to the cabinet elder did not start with the Wanli Emperor, such as the Hongzhi Emperor who respected the cabinet elder in the past. Emperor Longqing had such a precedent. Therefore, Zhang Juzheng did not have any sincere fear. After he saluted, he caught a glimpse of the disappointment on the faces of some of the other paper readers, and he was stunned in his heart, and then said in a deep voice: "Your Majesty, there are many talents in the Hanlin Academy now, and the examination law has just been implemented in the world, and the ministers think that there must be many incompetent local officials who have been deposed. Therefore, under the will of the minister, this year's Jinshi will no longer be selected as a scholar, and the list will be used immediately to fill the vacancy of local officials. ”

For Emperor Wanli, it doesn't matter what kind of Shu Jishi or what kind of test method, he glanced at Feng Bao beside him, and saw that he nodded slightly, so he said without thinking: "Just according to Mr. Zhang's meaning." ”

In accordance with Mr. Zhang's meaning, the paper readers only felt a little emotional when they heard the previous time, and the top three were indeed the exclusive power of the elders, and others could not touch them. But when they heard the next one, they were truly shocked. Hanlin Shu Jishi is not selected after every palace examination, there are always a few Jinshi who are not so lucky, but now the Wanli Dynasty is not selected for the first time, for those who aspire to enter the cabinet, how big a blow is it? Some people even thought that Sun Ying, who was a Huiyuan, was forced to be forced to the second class, and he lost his qualification to enter Hanlin without accident, which is a great loss!

However, Emperor Chrysostom said that the matter was decided like this, what else could they do? Even if many people are unhappy, they can only feel sorry for Sun Ying in their hearts. Wait until the first and third are determined, and the remaining two and three will return to the East Pavilion to open and fill in the list, as for the top three, they will have to wait until the next morning to dismantle it, which is the old rule. When everyone kowtowed one by one and bowed and retired, and went to receive the banquet from the reading officer, Zhang Juzheng was just about to leave together, Feng Bao said with a smile: "Mr. Zhang, please take a step slowly, the Queen Mother has something to bring to Mr. Zhang, and our family will send you two steps." ”

Feng Bao said this, Emperor Wanli would not say anything, and Zhang Juzheng and Feng Bao walked out of the Wenhua Hall side by side. Standing at the door of the main hall, seeing that those officials who read the scrolls had gone to the side hall to receive the banquet, and there were no idle people waiting around, Feng Bao said softly: "Brother Taiyue, there are rumors in Jiangling that Ling Zun and Brother Ling have received a lot of heavy gifts from officials who come and go, and I have already instructed Feng Bangning to track down the person who chewed his tongue." ”

Zhang Juzheng knew the deeds of his father and younger brothers, but it was useless to write a letter to warn him, and he couldn't do without it, so letting You Qi go over to give gifts was not without the intention of tactfully advising through his mother. It's just that he hates officials who bribe his father and brother into the water. Therefore, when he thanked Feng Bao for his kindness, he had to whisper again: "I also bother Shuanglin to check those gift-givers, if the official reputation is good, it is fine, if the official is incompetent, but blindly follow the crooked path, but it is unforgiving!" In addition, please also check whether there is any party formation and personal interest in this test. ”

"Don't worry, I'll go back and summon Liu Shouyou, the commander of the Jinyi Guard."

After a few more words, Feng Bao watched Zhang Juzheng leave and return to his private house. He is eighteen years younger than Zhang Juzheng, and he is only in his early thirties this year. He is not lacking in knowledge from the inner study hall, and his elegance is like a Confucian student, and now under his jurisdiction, the master of ceremonies and the master of ceremonies are all from the inner study hall, and there are few ugly people who can be among them if they please the nobles. Zhang Juzheng was strongly supported by the outside, and there were Empress Dowager Li and Emperor Wanli inside, and his palm print as the master of ceremonies was unmatched.

When the Jinyi guards commanded Liu Shouyou to hurry over in response to the call, he kowtowed like a subordinate. When he got up and stood up and listened to Feng Bao's instructions, although Liu Shouyou had the heart to ask a few more words, he could think about it again and again, he only responded to one yes, and he didn't dare to say a word else. And Feng Bao waited until the people left, then looked at a eunuch who was accompanying him and casually ordered: "When the palace examination papers are finalized, in addition to the twelve papers recommended by them, Zhang Taiyue also turned over those papers and went to inquire. ”

This time, Zhang Juzheng was really ruthless, but he was afraid that those self-righteous jinshi would beat their chests. If there is no chance for the museum to choose to jump over the dragon gate, it is not idle. It's a pity that after Sun Ying was admitted to the Huiyuan, the Sun family once added fuel to the fire and created public opinion, thinking that there would be a figure in the family who could even get two yuan, but now he can't even enter Hanlin, which is really a loss!

PS: Changed and changed, and then it was late...... Ask for a monthly pass, thank you! (To be continued......)